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by starkrcmanoff



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Don't worry, Fix-It, Happy Ending, I think that's it - Freeform, Light Angst, Nobody Dies, also, and healthy, because i live for carolnat, carol and natasha are dating, everybody is happy, in case you didn't get that part, natasha never died, they win (duh), uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 16:24:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19406983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkrcmanoff/pseuds/starkrcmanoff
Summary: Natasha wakes up, but she's supposed to be dead. Because she gave her life for the soul stone. So, how come she's alive ?





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**Author's Note:**

> so i know what the russos said : "it's impossible to bring natasha back, she's in the soul stone, it's irreversible" blablabla i don't give a damn about what they say and i decided that no, i do not accept her death (even after more than a month, what has marvel done to me) and no, i will never accept it. so here you go with an AU set during endgame. fix-it because fuck the russos and fuck marvel for killing BOTH of my favourite characters. 
> 
> have fun reading this angsty yet happy endgame fix-it fic (focused on natasha, as you can see)
> 
> I almost forgot to say this but, english isn't my native language. i reread my work and i didn't see any mistake but there might be, like conjugation stuff bc i'm not the best when it comes to the sequence of english tenses (i took that from the dictionary it's a weird word to use tbh) so YEAH i hope i didn't let too many mistakes or typos :)

“Let me go. It’s okay.”

Natasha woke up, and it was all orange. And wet. Which, weird. She was supposed to be dead. Wasn’t that the whole point of sacrificing herself so the avengers could get the soul stone and save everyone ? Yes. Yes, it was. So, how come she was apparently alive, in an… orange place ? Also, alone. Very alone. Natasha got up, looked around her, but nothing. It was still orange, there was still water all around her. She wasn’t wet, though. Her clothes were dry, her hair were dry, and everything was so _orange_. She was confused. Oh, she was so confused. She remembered the fight with Clint. She remembered how stubborn he had been. She remembered falling. Sort of. She remembered why she did what she did. Why she had saved Clint, why she had let go. She was the one that needed to make the sacrifice. She had red on her ledger. She had tried, so hard, during those five years. She had tried to forget it, but it had always been here, in the back of her mind. Reminding her that they had failed. That she could’ve done better. That she hadn’t done enough. So, she had to let go. _Whatever it takes_. Even if it meant dying. Yet, she was alive, although she wasn’t on Vormir anymore. But where was she ? She walked, and she walked, for what seemed like hours. She called, begged for help, for someone to answer her, to tell her what was going on. But she was alone. She was alone, in an unknown place, with a body that didn’t feel like hers. Her steps were too heavy, yet too light. She felt… strange. Like she wasn’t real. Like she was dreaming. She knew she wasn’t. Her dreams weren’t like this, they were darker, sadder. This… this was something else. Something she had dreaded all her life. Being alone, somewhere, with no way out. Because there was no way out. Natasha had no way out of this place. She couldn’t go home. Couldn’t go back to her family. _See you in a minute_. She had been so excited. They finally had a chance to fix things. To bring everyone back. She didn’t know it meant she’d never see her family again. Tony, Steve, Carol everyone, she missed them so much, and she was all alone. Completely and utterly alone.

Time was different here. There was none. She had walked for hours, and she didn’t see any stars, any moon, any sun. Nothing. Nothing had changed, it was still orange and water. It was all water. And her body. The more she walked, the more she tried to figure things out, the more it grew weaker. And weaker, and weaker. Although, it wasn’t the weakness you have when you’re physically exhausted. No. It wasn’t. It was something else. Soon, she couldn’t walk anymore. Her body just stopped working. Something was happening. She sat in the water, and watched her body fade. Her body was fading. Natasha was dying, and she couldn’t do anything about that. Again.

People say that life is a circle. You start from ashes and return to ashes when you die. Perhaps Natasha was bound do die again and again. Perhaps death was her circle. Her body was fading. And suddenly, things were black.

She woke up again, but this time she recognized the place. Vormir. She was on Vormir, at the top of the cliff. And again, she was alone. Clint wasn’t here anymore. He followed the plan. He got the stone and went back home. _Good_. She didn’t die for nothing. But did she die ? Why was she back on Vormir ? Did Clint even get the soul stone ? Would he have left if he hadn’t received the stone, after she had sacrificed herself ? Surely not. She walked for a while, trying to see if the ship was here. It wasn’t. She was stuck. Alone. For the second time. Natasha was lost, didn’t know what to do. She was confused. She didn’t know how much time had passed since Clint and her arrived there. Hours, maybe even days. Weeks. She had no way to know. Because she was alone. Then a thought came to her mind. The Pym particles. She had a way out. She could use the pym particles and go back home, see her family again. Except she couldn’t find the container anywhere. It wasn’t with her anymore. And suddenly, she realized. It must’ve broken when she fell. Defeated, she sat on a stone – it was ironically the same stone she had sat on and where she had made the decision to sacrifice herself. An easy decision, really. It was her, or the world. And the world won. Who was she, against a whole universe ? Just a mere human being. One among billions. It had been one of the easiest decisions she had ever made. Because she thought she’d die, and that it would be the end. That was what Nebula had said. That was what the man in the cape had said. _In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul_. She was supposed to die from the fall. But she didn’t. And now, she had no way out. And thus, for the second time, she was stuck in a place that was far from home, in a place that had seen her end. A place she couldn’t escape. A place where her family wasn’t.

“No. This is not possible.”

Natasha lift her head at the sudden voice. She thought she was alone, but maybe she wasn’t. Or maybe she had gone crazy. Who knew? Her going crazy could explain everything that happened, in some twisted way. Could explain how it was possible that she was back on Vormir.

“You cannot be here. It is not possible” said the voice again. And Natasha recognized that voice. It was the same that handed her her fate.

“Where are you? Why can’t I see you?”

“You shouldn’t be here. It doesn’t work like that. How did you do?”

“How did I- you think it was something I did?” asked Natasha. She could hear her voice going higher. “You think I had a part in this? Don’t you think I would’ve chosen to go back home, if I had had the choice? This wasn’t my doing. I had no part in it. I woke up, and everything was orange. I died again, and I woke up here. I don’t know anything.”

“A soul for a soul. This is the rule. The boy got the stone. You should’ve died.”

“Clint got the stone? He did it… Then maybe it means they all did it.”

Natasha tried not to hope too much. But something had to happen, since she was here, and alive.

“I have to go home. I-I have to go back to the boys, to Carol, I have to help them.”

“You are to stay with me. There is nothing to bring you home.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t stay here. I have to go home.”

“Tell me, how are you going to achieve this? There is no ship. No stone. Nothing to help you get out of here.”

“Then I’ll find a way!” she screamed, and she got up. “You don’t know what we all went through, I have to help them! They think I died! Oh my god, they think I died.”

Natasha sat back on the stone, her head in her arms. She died. In the eyes of the Avengers, she was dead. She was stuck on Vormir, with someone - something - in a cape, with absolutely no way out. She might be alive now, but she was going to die soon. Of hunger, of thirst. Everyone she ever knew thought she was dead. Nobody would come looking for her. Nobody would try to bring her back either. Because they thought she was dead. Her family, the only people she had ever loved and cared for, thought she was dead.

“Do you understand now?”

“I have no way home.”

“Will you shut up, we’re fighting! I don’t know who’s talking, but shut up!”

Natasha jumped at the voice.

“Did you - did you say something about a fight?” she asked the thing in the cape.

“No. I didn’t talk.”

“Yes! Now shut up!”

“Stop talking!” she screamed. “Stop! Who are you? Where are you? Why can I hear you?”

“I told you. I did not talk. Nobody’s talking.”

“Not you, the person in my comms- oh my god. Oh god. Can someone hear me?”

“Uh, yes. I mean, this is the point of the comms. So we can hear each other.”

And this voice. She knew it, she had heard it for years. She had heard it when it was afraid, when it was angry, when it was anxious. She knew who it was.

“Tony…? Tony, is that you?”

But nobody answered, and Natasha thought… maybe it was all a dream. Maybe she had imagined the interaction. Maybe it wasn’t real.

“The one and only. Sorry for the delay, I had to punch an alien. Not easy to maintain a conversation while fighting. So tell me, why are you freaking out? Because, you know. Aliens. Thanos. The fight. This isn’t a good time. This is definitely not a good time.”

“Tony. It’s Natasha.”

A pause. That might have lasted less than a minute, but it felt like hours.

“This isn’t funny. Natasha’s dead. I don’t know who you are, but I’m going to find you, and you won’t like what I’ll do to you. Shut up.”

“No! Tony, no. I’m not joking. I’m Natasha. I’m on Vormir, I don’t know how I got back here, I just… I woke up, and everything was orange, I died again, or maybe I didn’t because suddenly I’m on Vormir again. Tony, I don’t know what happened. I have no way out. I’m stuck.”

“Natasha died. She sacrificed herself so we could have the soul stone. You fucking psycho. Stop joking about this, this is not funny.

She should’ve expected it. She was dead, in their eyes. And they had seen so many things, heard so many things. It was normal for Tony not to believe her. She had to prove herself, by telling him something only they knew. And she knew what she was going to say.

“The day we met. Remember the day we met. It was at your house. Pepper, Happy, you and I were here, only us. And Happy tried to show me how boxing worked. You were sitting in a chair, next to Pepper. I looked at you, Happy tried to hit me, but I won. Because I’m the Black Widow. We became friends, this year. I helped you with your sickness, with everything. You’re the first person I learnt to trust apart from Clint, Fury and Coulson. We’re friends. I visited you during those five years. I often came to your house, I used to play with Morgan, and eat with Pepper and you. I taught Morgan how to dance. Well, I started to. I didn’t have the time to finish her training, because… well you know. For her birthday I gave her a picture of you and Pepper I took at a party. And she thanked me, hugged me and told me I was the best Auntie ever. I never let you go, even when you asked for it. I always stuck by your side. I will always be by your side, Tony. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

 _You can’t get rid of me that easily_. This was something she had told Tony after the 2016 fiasco. She had called him, apologized to him and told him that she was there if he needed help. And Tony had been angry at first, because she had betrayed him, or that was what he used to think, but Natasha had told him that no. She was just trying to not fuck things up. They had talked for what seemed like hours, and Tony had forgiven her. And she had told him this. _You can’t get rid of me this easily. You’re stuck with me. Even if you don’t like it._

“How? Clint told us you died. How is it possible?”

“I don’t know, Tony… I don’t get it either. I just woke up here.”

“And you can’t come back, you said?”

“No. The ship isn’t here anymore, and the particles are gone too. I have no way out.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll find something. Let me just, I don’t know. I’ll find something. I’ll be right back.”

Suddenly, every noise stopped. She couldn’t hear anything anymore, except her breathing. Tony must’ve ended the communication to fight, or to find something, like he had just said. Natasha didn’t hear anything for a few minutes. The thing with the cape was long gone too. She felt alone. She was used to it, she had been feeling alone for years now, but she still hated the feeling. She liked it better when she was with the people she loved. It had been weird, at first. Having to work with a team, having to live with them. She had been mistrustful at first. She didn’t know anyone except Clint and Tony. How could she trust them? It had turned out that it was easy. Trusting them had come pretty fast. Before she had realized it, they had become her friends, her family. She would’ve died for them. She did.

“Okay. I’m sending someone to you. Be careful when you’re here. It’s a hell of a mess.”

“Thank you, Tony. Really.”

“No problem, milady.”

“Hey, Tony? See you in a minute.”

“See you in a minute,” he answered. And this time, she knew it was going to happen. She suddenly saw sparkles in front of her.

“Natasha Romanoff? I’m here to bring you back.”

When Natasha saw what happened to the compound, a knot appeared in her stomach. Her home. It was completely destroyed. Natasha had never been the kind of person to grow attached to a place, to an object. All her life, she had moved everywhere, never staying somewhere long enough to even think of it as a potential home. She had been trained to go undercover, to never stay somewhere, to always be on the move. She had been trained for years to learn how to let things go. _Do what you’re told. Then leave. Do not get attached. Do not think of it as anything. This is your job. Do it, then leave._ All her life, it had been like that. Shield had never been her home either. It was just some place she used to stay at, before it had all gone wrong and fallen apart. But the compound. The compound was different. The compound was her home. _Had been_ her home. Now, it was completely destroyed, nothing was left standing. Everything had become dust and ruins. All her stuff, all her personal belongings, it was all gone, it all disappeared. She didn’t have anything anymore. Natasha had never been the kind of person to grow attached to a place, to an object, yet this time she had, and she had lost everything. Again.

She however didn’t have much time to think, for the battle was still raging. Natasha immediately jumped into it, fighting Thanos’ forces with everything she could, forgetting she just came back from the dead. All she could think of was that this was her time, their time. They could win, because they were all together. They were _assembled_. They were together again, and now they had a chance to win. This was when she saw them. All of them. She didn’t know some of them. The woman on the Pegasus. The one next to Scott. But she knew the others. Okoye, Wanda. Carol. Nebula. They were all there, standing together, ready to fight, and she smiled. That was where she belonged. With them, with all of them. Men and women, fighting to save the world. Peter Parker gave the gauntlet to Carol. 

“I don’t know how you’re going to get through all that” he said with a small voice, probably tired of fighting and scared. 

“Don’t worry. She’s not alone” she answered while she stood next to Carol, who was looking at her, surprised. 

Then, the fight started. Everyone tried to help Carol fly to the van, fighting the Chitauris and the Outriders, fighting Thanos, but eventually, he won. The van got destroyed, he caught the gauntlet. 

“NO!” she heard someone scream and could only observe as Carol launched herself at Thanos. “You won’t win this time.” But this didn’t work. Thanos was too strong with the stones. Carol failed. Tony, who launched himself at him, failed too. Tony was down. 

“I am… inevitable” the alien said with his deep and sombre voice. 

Natasha could only watch as he snapped. 

But nothing happened. She turned around, following Thanos’ look. Tony had the stones. 

“Tony… no” Natasha said, and Tony smiled at her. 

“It’s nice seeing you again, Nat. But I have to do it.”

“Think of your family. Of Morgan, Pepper. There must be someone else, Tony. They can’t lose you.” _I can’t lose you_ , she wanted to say. 

“That’s exactly why I’m doing it, Nat. For them. Morgan deserves a better life, a life where there are birds singing when she wakes up, and sun rays filtering through her windows.” 

“Then let me help you. Please, let me help you. You can’t do it alone. You’ll die, Tony” the redhead pronounced weakly. 

“Tell Pepper I love her.” 

He smiled. Looked at Thanos. 

“And I… am… Iron Man.”

Then, he snapped his fingers. 

“NO!”

Natasha ran towards as Tony collapsed on the ground. Wounded, but alive. 

“You’re an idiot. I told you, it’s too dangerous.”

“But I… I did i-it.”

“Shut up, you’re too weak to talk. Shut up” she whispered as she felt tears roll on her cheeks. She observed as the avengers gathered around them. 

“Tony!” Pepper shouted and kneeled in front of him, soothing him. “It’s going to be okay. You’re okay. We’re okay.” Pepper lift her head, then froze. “Natasha, you’re- you’re back ? I… how ?” 

“This is a long story. I’ll explain later. He needs help. I’m going to look for it” she answered and got up. And she saw them all. Every one of them, standing there, around them, observing. She observed the different faces, some of them she knew, some of then she’d never seen. All looking at them, at Tony and Pepper. Rhodey walked past her, barely seeing her and joined Tony. Steve was in front of everyone. Looking at her. Frozen, like the time had stopped. 

“Natasha…”

“Hey, Steve. I’m sorry, it took me a bit longer than a min- woah there” she said surprised as Steve took her in his arms and hold her tightly. 

“Never do something like that again, Romanoff. Never. Or I’ll be the one to kill you. You hear me?”

Natasha hugged him back. “I missed you too.”

Steve laughed, then took a step back, watching her like she had hung the stars in the sky. And maybe she did.

“Nat…?” a voice she knew very well said. 

“Clint.”

“Oh my god, Nat,” Clint said and launched himself at her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should have fought harder. I should have stayed there. I thought- oh my god.

“Clint, Clint it’s okay. I’m here. I’m okay. It was my choice. You don’t have anything to feel ashamed of. I did it. It was my choice. I’m okay. It’s okay.” 

They hugged for a little while longer, then Clint took a step back too, and now Natasha was in front of Carol. During those five years, Natasha and her had become close friends. The day Carol had busted in the compound asking for Fury, they had immediately clicked. They had talked a lot, mostly about Fury, but also about anything that went through their minds. Natasha had found a friend in Carol, a friend like any other. Carol had become her friend, her confident. One of the people she loved the most out here. It could be because she was a woman too. Or maybe it was because of Fury. Maybe there had been absolutely no reason, and they had just clicked. So, when they were standing like that, in front of each other, Natasha smiled (and she had her Carol smile). 

“Hey there, captain.” 

“Don’t” said Carol, with emotion on her voice. “They told me you were dead. That you gave your life for the soul stone.” 

“I did.”

“But you’re here.”

“But I’m here.”

“I thought I lost you” suddenly said Carol, and she was now hugging Natasha, and Natasha was hugging her back. She was home. 

“You didn’t lose me. I’m here. I’m with you now.” 

“I’m never letting you go,” Carol said, and Natasha laughed. 

“You will have to let me go sometimes, honey.” 

“No. Never.” 

_A few days later_

Everyone was reunited once again, to celebrate their win. The sky was blue, the sun was high. Birds were singing, butterflies were flying around them. Families and friends were reunited, the pets had gone back to their owners. They won. Things were not perfect and the world still had a lot of work to do to get better, but they won. And for now, that was all that mattered. Everyone was happy. 

Peter, who had previously learnt from Pepper that he was the reason Tony worked on time travel, decided to stick with Morgan for the day. When Morgan had met him, she had immediately hugged her “uncle Peter”, and talked about everything her father did when he was gone. Shuri had joined them not long after, and now the three of them were playing games, smiling, laughing, and their families were watching them, happy. Bruce, Stephen and T’Challa were together, talking about science and other things. Next to them were Nebula and the guardians, with Rocket never leaving their sides. So many people reunited together, being happy, smiling, drinking. 

And Tony. When they had all gone past the shock of his snap, they immediately had brought him somewhere where they could help him. His armour was the only reason he hadn’t die. They all knew that. Tony was still injured, and his arm would take time to recover. But he was alive. He had come back to his daughter, and that was all that mattered. 

Natasha had explained to everyone what had happened to her after she had sacrificed herself - and as promised, Carol didn’t leave her side. They still didn’t know what happened, or how it happened. But she was back. And again, that was all that mattered. 

Natasha was standing in front of the lake, watching the water, thinking of everything and nothing, when Tony joined her. They stayed silent for a while, just enjoying the other’s presence. They were comfortable, happy. 

“Has Pepper calmed down a little since you came home?” 

“Not really. But you know, I don’t really expect her to. Has Carol calmed down ?” 

“No. But like you, I don’t expect her to.” 

Natasha sighed. 

“You know… All my life, I’ve been alone. I started alone. Then I met Clint, Coulson, Fury, and they changed my life. But in a way, I was alone, still. And out of nowhere, you just… appeared. You were a time bomb, almost ready to die. God, you were a mess. I used to think you were a brat, you know? An egocentric and selfish billionaire who didn’t know the chance he had. But you grew on me. And suddenly, I was less alone. And then, Loki happened. Us too. And I was scared. What if I mess up ? I wasn’t used to teamwork. But you all grew on me. Each and every one of you.” She turns to look at Tony. “You know, when I was out there, alone again, and during those five years… All I could think of was you. Of how empty I felt because we weren’t us anymore.” She looks at everyone, then her eyes went back to Tony. “You’re my friend, and I love you. And I couldn’t thank you enough for bringing me back.” She knew Tony was watching her, listening to every word she was saying. “I used to have nothing, you know. Then I got this family, this home. I got a home, Tony. With you guys, I have a home. I never had that. Never.” 

“We’ll always be your home, Nat.”


End file.
